Obamacare official: No more delays of employer mandate implementation

WASHINGTON – An official charged with overseeing implementation of the Affordable Care Act said Wednesday that there would be no more delays of implementation of the employer mandate, after the one year delay announced earlier this month.

“We are committed to 2015,” said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the Deputy Director for Policy and Regulation at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, who oversees development and clearance of policy and regulations related to healthcare implementation.

“That’s what are regulations say, that’s what we’re working on,” she said, testifying Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Small Business. “We just wanted to give all stakeholders more time because we want it to work well.”

Asked by Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer whether, as Republicans are pushing for, there ought to be a delay in implementing the individual mandate as well, Brooks-LaSure said that was not necessary.

“We are fully prepared for the individual market for October 1st,” she said.